Children's Theatre Company, ex-official are targets of sex-abuse suit

Jeff Anderson, the St. Paul attorney who has taken on the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts of America on behalf of sexual-abuse victims, on Monday announced a suit against Children's Theatre Company.

The suit, filed on behalf of two people who were students at the company in the 1970s and '80s, also names former CTC artistic director John Clark Donahue and an unidentified ex-employee.

Anderson scheduled a news conference for 1 p.m. Tuesday at which one of the plaintiffs will speak publicly for the first time.

The abuse allegedly occurred in 1977 and 1983. During Donahue's tenure, "numerous children were sexually abused, and only a small part of the story became public," according to a news release from Anderson's office.

Children's Theatre was rocked by a sex abuse scandal in 1984 that resulted in Donahue serving 10 months in jail.

CTC said it would have no response until after Tuesday's press conference, at which Anderson will release details of the suit.

Duane Braley, Rpa - Minneapolis Star Tribune

John Clark Donahue arrived for sentencing on Oct. 2, 1984, at the Hennepin County Government Center. With him was Mary Winchell, an instructor and stage manager at Children's Theatre.

Calls to Donahue were not returned.

The suits were filed under the Minnesota Child Victims Act, which extends the statute of limitations on old cases of abuse. Anderson said he hopes that other victims will step forward before the act expires next May.

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